Reformed Church members build houses, relationships

First Reformed Church of Lafayette, Ind.—with only 120 official members—showed a strong commitment to serving others by sending 26 volunteers to help Habitat for Humanity Calcasieu Area in Lake Charles, La., build houses with hurricane-affected families.

“It’s a lot easier to write a check,” said pastor Drew Poppleton, “but this is an opportunity for us to see what we’re giving for and to give of ourselves.” After 19 hours on the road and a week of shared experiences on the build site, in the volunteer camp and communal kitchen, the group developed strong bonds and deep appreciation for the talents and gifts of each member, Poppleton said.

Church member Jake Keiser, who is retired from the construction industry, has two granddaughters sweating alongside him in the south Louisiana heat. He’s proud of their hard work and skill. A weekly volunteer with Lafayette (Ind.) HFH, he’s pleased with the work all his fellow church members have done.

Church member Gary Summers organized the trip, the first mission experience for him and several others. He saw a recruiting notice in “The Church Herald,” a publication of the Reformed Church in America. Summers said coordinating with the Lake Charles, La., Habitat affiliate had made everything go smoothly.

“They are well organized here and provide plenty of supervision. They’ve had materials on hand and kept us busy, so we know we’re being helpful. Yesterday a group of 12 people from local Target joined us, and the staff took it in stride.

“We planned about six months out,” said Summers. “It might have taken longer if we’d had to raise funds, but having a free place to stay really helped.”

“Reformed Church volunteers have made a huge difference in our ability to house families,” said Jennifer Parker, volunteer coordinator for the Lake Charles affiliate, as she pointed out the pictures of group after group of church teams on the walls of the Southwest Louisiana Housing Center, where the volunteers stay.

“Our denomination is dedicated to outreach and missions, and it shows,” says pastor Poppleton. “This is what we choose to do with a week of vacation.”